The Quest
by Anjuli
Summary: Elrohir likes Legolas but is too shy to tell him, especially considering the first time they met...He decides to ask his brother for help; but will this really make things easier?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Sadly, neither the characters nor the places mentioned in this story belong to me. They're all Tolkien's /New Line's. This chapter was loosely inspired by a book I read when I was child.

Warnings: AU, eventually non-graphic-slash

Prologue

He was afraid. Careful not to cause any noise, he slowly made his way through the dark hall, hoping that nobody would find out about his disappearing before the morning came.

Finally reaching the wooden door, he hesitated for a short moment. He would almost have turned around and abandoned his plan, thinking about the long and dangerous road that lay ahead, but then he remembered how important his task was. With new determination, he pushed the door open and stepped outside.

After what seemed like an eternity, he had finally left the last building behind, but he knew that the most dangerous part of his escape was still to come: the sentries. Afterwards, he would never be able to explain how he managed to get past them without being noticed. Maybe because he knew the surroundings better than most of them, or maybe because they were tired and never thought that anyone could try to _leave_ the dwelling. After all, they had orders to watch out for enemies that were trying to get _inside_. Probably, it was a mixture of all of these reasons.  After two hours he had passed the last sentry, but as he did not know this, he continued to make his way through the bushes for another hour until he dared to walk on the main road.

It was now almost four hours since he had left the house and he was extremely tired. By now he wished he had never left, but it was too late to turn back now. Unable to walk any further, he decided to rest for a while and lay down in the grass near the road. He knew that he should probably hide himself in case someone was looking for him, but he did not have the strength to move anymore. Actually, right now he would not mind if someone found him, because he was feeling cold, hungry and awfully lonely. Sobbing softly, he cried himself to sleep and did not wake up until he felt that someone was shaking him.

He wanted to jump up and run away, but the stranger had a firm grip on his arm and kept him from leaving.

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Legolas could tell that his guards were nervous and he had to admit that he also felt slightly uneasy when he thought about their destination: Imladris.

The relationships between Lord Elrond's realm and Mirkwood were not good, to put it friendly. Someone less polite than Legolas would probably have said that Thranduil and Elrond hated each other.

A few weeks ago, Elrond had sent a message to Thranduil, proposing an alliance between the two realms and now Legolas carried the king's answer. Knowing his father, Legolas wished he could just turn around and hide somewhere, as the message would surely not please Elrond, but as a prince of Mirkwood and representative of his home, he obviously could not do that. To be honest, he had always wanted to see Elrond's valley and he surely would not miss this chance.

With new enthusiasm, he urged his horse to go faster, riding ahead of his party. Suddenly, something caught his attention and he stopped. Dismounting, he noticed that what looked like an old piece of cloth was in fact a sleeping child. He kneeled down near the sleeping form and softly shook the elfling to wake him. Suddenly, the child jumped up and tried to run away, but he managed to keep his grip on the boy's arm.

Said boy soon gave up his hopeless efforts to get free and instead did something Legolas had not expected: He started to sob and soon cried as if he was determined to drown himself and the frightening stranger in his tears.

Unsure what to do, Legolas tentatively wrapped his arms around the weeping child, offering comfort. When he noticed his soldiers coming closer, he gave them a wink to stay away. There was no need to frighten the child any more.

How long he held the child in his arms, Legolas did not know, but finally the sobbing stopped and the elfling tried to move away. Legolas allowed it, knowing that he could easily catch up should the boy try to flee again.

But the child made no efforts to run again. He had decided that this blonde elf, who had comforted him, was his friend and friends did not run away from each other. So he just sat down in the grass, staring expectantly at his new 'friend'.

Legolas did not have any siblings and therefore did not know how to treat children. Hesitantly, he sat down as well.

'Who are you?'

His first question was met with silence. Trying to sound as friendly as possible, Legolas tried again. 'What are you doing here?'

This time, the elfling shook his head. 'I cannot tell you. It is a secret.'

'But perhaps I could help you?'

'I cannot tell you. You are a stranger.'

Legolas tried his most charming smile, praying that it worked with children. 'I could tell you who I am. Then I would not be a stranger and you could tell me your secret so that I might help you.' Taking the following silence for a 'yes', he continued. 'My name is Legolas.'

This seemed to convince the child, who now crept closer to the prince. 'I am Elrohir.' Elrohir seemed to hesitate for a moment before he added 'Will you be my friend?'

Legolas simply stared at him, realizing that he was talking to one of Elrond's sons. Slowly, he nodded. 'Yes, I am your friend.'

He did not know what to do. Surely, Elrond did not know that Elrohir had decided to leave the valley and was now sick with worry. Trying to keep the conversation going, he asked 'So why are you here all alone?' He was afraid that Elrohir would again refuse to answer, but the boy answered promptly.

'I want to go to Mirkwood.' As an afterthought, he added 'Do you know how I can get there? Is it still very far?'

Legolas pretended to think about this. 'Aye, it is still a very long and dangerous way. I do not think you will get there today. What do you want there?'

'I need to talk to Thranduil.'

Trying hard not to laugh as Elrohir looked at him with trusting eyes, Legolas asked. 'You need to talk to Thranduil?'

'Yes, because he is very mean and makes father sad…and father does not have time to play with us anymore because he has to write so many letters…'

'And now you want to tell Thranduil to stop being mean to your father?'

Elrohir nodded determinedly. 'Elladan said I could not go to Mirkwood. He is also very mean. But I can do it…I am brave.'

At the mentioning of his brother's name, the tears had started to fall again and kept Elrohir from continuing his little speech. This gave Legolas some time to think. Smiling assuringly, he nodded.

'Aye, you are very brave. After all, you want to go all the way to Mirkwood to help your father. I am sure he was very happy when you told him about your plans.'

Turning pink, Elrohir guiltily looked to the ground.

'So you did not tell him?' The child shook his head. 'But then he will be very worried.'

'Really?'

 'I believe he is very happy to have such a brave and caring son. Imagine his shock when he finds out that you are gone.'

'Do you think he will cry?'

Legolas nodded gravely 'I am sure of it.'

'And Elladan?'

'He will be very sad as well.'

'Perhaps…I should go back home to tell them that they do not have to cry?'

Pretending not to notice how relieved Elrohir was that he did not have to go to Mirkwood after all, Legolas smiled. 'Aye, I believe this would be best.'

'But who will talk to Thranduil?'

Legolas' smile widened. 'Shall I tell you one of my secrets? I meet Thranduil from time to time. If you want me to, I could try to talk to him.'

This seemed to satisfy Elrohir. He did not protest as Legolas lifted him from the ground and carried him to his horse to take him back to his home.

TBC

I would love to get some feedback.


	2. 1 You want me to do WHAT!

_Uhm…Is anyone still reading this? I honestly don't know what to say…I am really sorry for taking forever to write this, but after I had posted the prologue, my muse suddenly decided to leave for good. In fact, I myself was convinced that I would never continue this._

_But two days ago, my muse decided to return while I was watching "Attack of the Clones" on TV (which makes absolutely no sense but is the truth nevertheless). Therefore, all my gratitude for this chapter goes to George Lucas and Obi-Wan._

_Well, finally on with the story (I really hope you enjoy this chapter)._

The Quest

Disclaimer: Sadly, neither the characters nor the places mentioned in this story belong to me. I just use them for my entertainment.

Warning: If the thought of two males being in love with each other bothers you, don't read.

"conversation"

thoughts

Chapter 1: _You want me to do WHAT!_

Sleepily, Elrohir tried to pretend it was still night, in spite of the sunlight illuminating the room. He usually did not sleep in but last night, his brother had again decided that he was in need of some company and practically dragged him to the next pub. Elrohir sighed. He knew his twin only had the best intentions, but he really wished Elladan would finally accept that he liked spending time alone reading or merely thinking.

Apart from his family, of course, he did not really care for company. In fact, he was rather shy and simply felt uneasy when talking to strangers, while Elladan never missed a chance to meet new people. Although their looks were so similar that even close friends found it sometimes hard to tell who was who, his twin's character was the complete opposite of his own. Elladan was always cheerful and talkative, always surrounded by his friends, always the one, who got most of the attention. A sad smile appeared on his face. No, he didn't envy his brother, not really. He knew their father loved them both equally and, after all, it was not like anyone was trying to isolate him. He chose to be on his own and most of the time, he was content that way. Still, there were times when he wondered how it would be to have lots of friends and take part in the sorts of mischief young adults like him were supposed to enjoy. Elladan always told him, he was behaving way to mature, but he could not change who he was, could he?

Despite all their differences, Elladan was Elrohir's closest (and only) friend, the one person who would always listen to his problems. Since they both could remember, there had been a strong connection between the two brothers that would never fade, not even when they started to grow up and develop different interests.

In fact, Elrohir could only recall one time when they had a real fight. Elrond had been extremely upset about the latest news from Mirkwood and the twins had argued whether or not it was possible for Elrohir to visit Thranduil and tell him to be friendlier towards Elrond. All this had happened soon after their mother had decided to move back to Lothlorien and take Arwen, their younger sister, with her. Obviously, little Elrohir had not been successful in reaching Mirkwood, but he had met a new friend

The Valar know what might have happened to me if Prince Legolas had not stumbled over me...

With a small gasp, he jumped out of bed and almost ran to his closet to find something to wear. How could he have forgotten that Thranduil had announced his arrival for this morning? Elrond had been extremely surprised when the King of Mirkwood had informed him about his visit, since Thranduil normally tried to avoid any contact with the Imladris-elves whenever it was possible. Why did he suddenly feel the need to visit Elrond's realm?

What ever the reason was, the occasion was definitely so important, that Elrond's sons (which obviously included Elrohir) were required to be present during the greeting ceremony.

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When he finally reached the Entrance Hall, slightly out of breath, he immediately noticed his brother, who was trying to hide his grin behind his hand. Of course, when he overslept once in a decade, Elladan had to choose precisely that morning to be punctual for a change. His father, who stood in the middle of the room between Glorfindel and Erestor, his most trusted advisors, merely raised his eyebrows and motioned for him to take his place next to Elladan.

There was no time for excuses as Thranduil chose exactly this moment to enter the hall.

Elrohir was rather curious to meet the Mirkwood-king, who was said to be quite… difficult to deal with. But, then again, a place called Mirkwood did not sound like anyone would really want to live there and reining a realm that was constantly being attacked by giant spiders surely did not add to one's mood either. In fact, given the circumstances, Thranduil was probably as cheerful and light-hearted as a butterfly. At this thought, he had to smile, but the grin immediately left his face when he realized that Thranduil had not come alone…

When he was still a child, Elrohir had often wondered when Legolas would come back to visit him; after all, the blonde prince had probably saved his life and was his personal hero. But while Legolas would always have Elrond's gratitude for rescuing his son, all attempts to improve relationships between Mirkwood and Rivendell were futile. Therefore, Legolas had never come back to Rivendell…until now.

"It is such a pleasure to meet you again, Elrohir. I must admit, you have really grown since I last saw you."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Elrohir realized that Legolas was standing right in front of him, obviously expecting an answer to whatever he had just said. "Uhm…"

"Prince Legolas! I am honoured to make your acquaintance. I have heard so much about you…"

Elrohir gave his brother a grateful smile for saving him from this embarrassing situation. Thankfully, Elladan kept on talking to the prince because his own mind still refused to form any logical sentences. It was a feeling as if he was somewhere in the clouds, far away from his father's Hall, and even though he could hear the words that were spoken, he was unable to comprehend their meaning.

When the guests finally retired to their quarters to get some rest after the long journey, he was more than relieved. Still feeling a little dizzy, Elrohir claimed that he was still tired and went to his own room, where he immediately collapsed on the bed. He really was tired, but sleep would not come to him as he kept replaying his 'conversation' with the prince in his mind. This must have been the most humiliating moment in his whole life. If he had planned to convince Legolas that he was no longer the naïve child he had been when they had first met, he had failed miserably.

But had he really planned anything? Anyway, even though he was normally rather quite, he had always been able to have a polite conversation when it was needed. Why was he suddenly at a loss for words? Surely he had not drunk that much last night? Trying to blame his reaction on his lack of sleep, Elrohir closed his eyes…only to reopen them when someone entered the room.

"Father asked me to check on you. You behaved rather strangely during the greeting. He was wondering if you were ill and in need of help?"

"I'm fine, thank you. I probably just need some sleep because someone insisted on keeping me awake all night..."

Ignoring the hint, Elladan just stared at his twin. "You _like_ him, don't you?"

Elrohir was looking rather confused. "Whom? Father? Yes, I kind of got used to his presence over the years."

"Come now, don't pretend to be stupid! I am talking about Legolas."

"Lego…"

Elrohir started to argue but stopped in mid-sentence when realization struck him. Maybe, not last night's wine had clouded his mind but a certain blonde prince.

Oh Valar, what am I supposed to do now?

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Elrohir spent the rest of the rest of the day hiding in his rooms. When Elladan had finally stopped cheering over the fact that his 'little' brother was in love for the very first time and left him alone, he had immediately locked the door, claiming to be asleep and refusing to let anyone in. As soon as his brother had said it, he had realized that he was hopelessly in love with the Mirkwood-prince. But even now he remained his usual ever-realistic self and was very well aware of the fact that Legolas probably did not return his feelings. Considering what happened this morning, I would be surprised if he did not believe me to be a complete fool. As he did not have any experience with love and given the fact that he could not even form coherent sentences while Legolas was close, Elrohir knew his chances to convince the prince otherwise went close to zero.

He was close to despairing over his hopeless situation when suddenly an idea came to his mind. Half an hour later, he had convinced himself that he really had nothing to lose and gathered enough courage to get up and ask his brother for help.

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Elladan was staring at his twin, trying to figure out who of them had lost his mind. "You want me to do WHAT!"

TBC


	3. 2 Of insane plans and difficult conversa...

_Not much happening in this chapter, but the next one will be up soon, I promise._

The Quest

Disclaimer: Sadly, neither the characters nor the places mentioned in this story belong to me. I just use them for my entertainment.

Warning: If the thought of two males being in love with each other bothers you, don't read.

"conversation"

thoughts 

Chapter 2: _Of insane plans and difficult conversations_

"Just to make sure I understood this correctly…You want us to change places and while pretending to be you, I am supposed to make Legolas fall in love with me or rather you." Elladan shook his head. "This is absolutely impossible."

"Why? I know it can't be hard for you to get his attention, a few days at the most. Before anyone can notice, we will be ourselves again."

Seeing the determined look in his brother's eyes, Elladan knew he would lose this discussion. In spite of his rather shy nature, Elrohir could be extremely stubborn when he had his mind set on something. And this was most definitely one of those occasions. Still, he made one last attempt to bring his twin back to his senses. "Even if we manage to fool everyone, even if I can get Legolas to like me…"

"Oh, he will love you."

"That is exactly the problem, he will love me, not you, do you understand? I really think you should just try to get to know Legolas. Spend time with him; give him a chance to get to know you. If doesn't like you the way you are, he doesn't deserve you anyway."

Elrohir knew his brother only meant well and he appreciated his concern, but he also knew that this might be his only chance to get Legolas's attention. "But how is he supposed to appreciate my inner qualities when I can hardly utter one coherent sentence in his presence? Please, it would be so much easier for me if he already thought of me as a friend."

Hearing Elladan's sigh, he knew that he had won.

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Elrond was getting desperate. He had spent the whole afternoon in his office, trying to come to some sort of agreement with Thranduil, but the king had flatly refused all of his suggestions about how to improve relationships between Imladris and Mirkwood.

Deciding that they could just as well continue their argument the next day, he stated that they should both prepare for the feast that would be held in honour of Thranduil and Legolas later that evening. Surprisingly enough, the king had no objections to this and left the office without another word.

Wondering why the king had made the long journey when he obviously did not want to talk to him, Elrond went to his own rooms to change for the evening.

He was feeling incredibly tired and would have given anything to hide in his rooms instead of attending the feast. But it would have been extremely rude for the Lord of Imladris not to be present and as he did not want to insult Thranduil unnecessarily…

At least, he did not have to talk to him during the meal. The King of Mirkwood would be seated next to Elladan, while Elrond would entertain Prince Legolas. He had also decided that Elrohir would be allowed to have dinner in his room; his son had looked rather sick in the morning and the rest would be good for him.

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The evening went not as bad as Elrond had feared. With Glorfindel and Elladan seated between him and Thranduil, he could not even see the king without dislocating his neck and was therefore able to ignore his presence completely. When he had informed Elrohir about the arrangements for the evening, his son had burst into hysterical laughter, convincing Elrond that he was not completely recovered. However, he was sure that Elrohir had merely spent too much time with his books and only needed some rest. Soon, he was absorbed in an animated conversation with Legolas, happy to explain the extraordinary architecture of his home to the prince.

Two seats away, an extremely nervous Elrohir was trying to keep himself from running away. Nobody had warned him in advance and he had therefore been completely unprepared when Thranduil had taken the seat next to him. He knew he was expected to make conversation with the king but he had absolutely no idea what to say. The other did obviously not plan to be the one to talk first and left this task to the Imladris-elf.

This is ridiculous. I have had diplomatic training for years and now I am unable to do some polite small talk. I cannot embarrass me, or rather Elladan, like this. 

If only the king was a little less intimidating. In his mind Elrohir could almost hear Erestor, telling them to talk about unimportant topics during official occasions. Gathering all his courage, he smiled politely at Thranduil. "So…how is the weather in Mirkwood?"

For a moment, the other just stared at him, but then, to Elrohir's utter relief, he answered. "In winter, it is rather cold, but the summer is usually quite nice."

Thranduil's face was completely serious, but Elrohir could have sworn there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

TBC

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_Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. You all really encouraged me to continue this._

_**Haldir's Heart and Soul: **sigh Was it that obvious? ;-) Anyway, thanks for reviewing_

**_daeomae_**_**, kel, gazette, redrose2310, Lady Anck-su-namun: **Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. _

_**zerah: **Wow, thank you so much! I would be nothing without my dictionary ;-)_


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